Les Bowen

STAFF WRITER

Les Bowen has covered the Eagles since 2002. Before that, he covered the Flyers for 13 years. He came to the Daily News from the Charlotte Observer in May 1983, just as the Sixers were winning the NBA championship. He thought, "Gosh, this sort of thing must happen all the time here."

After Monday night's seventh successive Eagles loss, Todd Bowles vowed that players who weren't doing the job would be replaced.

Tuesday, the Birds parted ways with defensive end Jason Babin, but there have been no further defensive lineup changes. D-coordinator Bowles said Thursday that was because, well, he doesn't have anybody better to put in there.

"You show in practice every week from training camp to now, we have possible lineup changes, people compete every day ... we're playing our best guys," Bowles said. "If there was somebody that definitely could play better, they'd be playing."

Asked what his role was in the Babin release, Bowles said: "Not much. That's something handled by management and the head coach. Jason was a great player for us."

Bowles was asked specifically about his safeties, Kurt Coleman and Nate Allen, who seem to guess wrong on coverage quite often.

"They're tough and they play smart," Bowles said, then paused. "They play smart most of the time. They've made their mistakes, as has everybody else. It's not just the safeties."

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Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said several players will rotate into DeSean Jackson's role this week. (Psst! Damaris Johnson).

Monrhinweg talked about how rewarding the spoiler role could be. (Yes, it has come to this.)

Mornhinweg lauded Dallas Reynolds for getting through the Carolina game on a sprained ankle, but said he thinks Reynolds will miss Sunday's game, which leaves Evan Mathis at center for the first time in a regular season NFL game, and Danny Watkins at left guard.

Mornhinweg said Watkins is "real close" to being completely recovered from his ankle problem.